Sam Naismith
Naismith playing for Sydney in June 2017
Personal information
Full name Sam Naismith
Date of birth (1992-07-16) 16 July 1992
Place of birth Narrabri, New South Wales
Original team(s) North Shore (Sydney AFL)
Gunnedah (TAFL)
Draft 59th pick, 2013 Rookie Draft
Height 206 cm (6 ft 9 in)
Weight 108 kg (238 lb)
Position(s) Ruckman
Club information
Current club Richmond
Number 24
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2014–2022 Sydney 30 (3)
2024– Richmond 0 (0)
Total 30 (3)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2022 season.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Sam Naismith (born 16 July 1992) is a professional Australian rules footballer for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), having previously played for the Sydney Swans between 2014 and 2022 before being delisted.

Early life and junior football

Naismith was born in Narrabri, New South Wales but moved to Gunnedah with his family at a young age. He grew up playing rugby league and supported the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League. He first played Australian rules football at the age of 16 when a school friend convinced him to take part in a few training sessions with the Gunnedah Bulldogs.[1] A year later, as a 17-year-old, he was named joint best and fairest winner of the Tamworth Australian Football League in 2009.[2][3] By 2011 Naismith was ready to quit Aussie rules and move to Sydney to play rugby union until then-Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos called him and invited him to join the Swans' talent academy.[4] Naismith accepted the invitation and began playing for the North Shore Bombers in the Sydney AFL competition in 2012. By the end of the season he was rookie drafted by the Swans.

AFL & VFL career

Naismith made his debut for the Swans in the final round of 2014 season against Richmond. Naismith assumed the ruck duties alone that day as Mike Pyke and Tom Derickx, alternative ruck options, were both injured.[5]

In December 2022, Naismith was delisted by the Swans and signed by VFL side Port Melbourne Football Club. He played for Port Melbourne during the 2023 season. In November 2023, Naismith signed with Richmond as a delisted free agent[6] after the club traded their back-up ruckman Ivan Soldo to Port Adelaide during the trade period.[7] Naismith is expected to play as a back-up for premiership ruckman and Richmond co-captain Toby Nankervis in 2024.

Statistics

Updated to the end of the 2022 season.[8]

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
H/O
 Hit-outs
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T H/O G B K H D M T H/O
2014Sydney35 10006613160.00.00.06.06.01.03.016.0
2015Sydney35 0————————————————
2016Sydney35 1231426811025392770.30.13.55.79.22.13.323.1
2017Sydney35 1503528113325404190.00.23.55.48.91.72.727.9
2018Sydney35 0————————————————
2019Sydney35 0————————————————
2020[lower-alpha 1]Sydney10 2001541959530.00.07.52.09.52.54.526.5
2021Sydney10 0————————————————
2022Sydney10 0————————————————
Career 303410915926856917650.10.13.65.38.91.93.025.5
  1. ↑ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Honours and achievements

Team

References

  1. ↑ Swans recruit Gunnedah local
  2. ↑ Tamworth pair reunite at Ladies Lunch
  3. ↑ Triple dead heat in Tony Gillies Medal
  4. ↑ Sam Naismith was set to quit Aussie rules until he got a phone call from Sydney coach Paul Roos
  5. ↑ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/afl/sydney-cant-afford-to-lose-mike-pyke-but-sam-naismith-and-toby-nankervis-are-ready/story-fni5fan6-1227032290766?nk=cbb62af7d3191652ba7663c2e9357e9c
  6. ↑ "Naismith becomes a Tiger". 1 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "Five picks to change hands as Soldo heads to Port". AFL.com.au. 18 October 2023.
  8. ↑ "Sam Naismith stats". AFL Tables. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
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